A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology examined how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected U.S. cardiac catheterization laboratories in relation to STEMI activations.
Researchers analyzed STEMI activations from nine cardiac catheterization laboratories between January 2019 and March 2020. They compared activation rates from 2019 until March 1, 2020, which they identified as the beginning of the "after COVID-19 period," when the pandemic began to significantly affect American medical operations and social life.
Before COVID-19, there were 180 monthly STEMI activations at the high-volume catheterization laboratories; after COVID-19, that number fell to 138 per month, a 23 percent decrease.
Researchers fear the decreased trend is indicative of patients avoiding seeking medical care for urgent procedures due to COVID-19-related fears.
The entire piece is available here.